Feeling Safe
by Kristen3
Summary: An alternate take on "Daphne Hates Sherry." A simple conversation about the differences between love and sex changes Niles and Daphne's relationship forever. One-shot. Rating is for slightly mature themes.


Niles couldn't believe she was here. It was something he never could've predicted. And yet, Daphne had shown up on his doorstep an hour ago, saying she'd had a fight with Sherry and needed a place to stay. Of course Niles had been more than happy to let her in. His shock at seeing her there had caused him to faint, but then Daphne had responded in the most amazing way: she'd taken care of him, gently putting a cold washcloth onto his forehead until he came to. Even then, he wasn't entirely sure this wasn't a dream.

When she'd asked if she could take a bath in his tub, he'd readily agreed. How could he not? And besides, this heat was rather intense. Now, here she was, sipping champagne with him, as if this were an ordinary occurrence.

"Sherry seems to think I'd be much happier if I just went out and had sex with someone!" Daphne was saying.

The insults Sherry had hurled at Daphne made Niles' blood boil. How could anyone treat Daphne with such disrespect? And to suggest that she do something that would not only rob her of any sense of self-worth, but also be very dangerous? It was unthinkable. "I hope you don't think _that_'s the solution, Daphne. I mean...sex is a wonderful thing, but..." Suddenly he found himself looking to her eyes, and he lost all train of thought.

"But what, Dr. Crane?" Daphne asked. She'd never seen him so nervous before. She knew she'd come here unannounced, but somehow she sensed it was more than that.

"Well, I just think, if you're going to have sex, it shouldn't be with some stranger. I think it should be with someone who loves you. Someone who understands what he has when he's holding you in his arms." Niles wondered if she could hear his heart beating as he spoke.

"Dr. Crane!" Daphne said in surprise. "I never knew you had such strong feelings about this." He rarely if ever spoke of his sex life. Of course she understood that it was a very personal subject, so she'd never pried.

Niles shrugged, doing his best to act as if this were simply a casual conversation. "I admit that I'm not all that experienced in the art of...love-making, but I don't think it's something that can be rushed into. I mean, it is called _love_-making, right? So you should at least care about the other person."

Daphne couldn't believe this. The way Sherry had talked about it, sex was simply a basic need, no different from air or water. But Dr. Crane made it sound beautiful in a way. For some reason she couldn't quite explain, it made her feel safe. "That's lovely," she said.

Niles' heart warmed at her smile. He smiled back shyly. "Thank you. I was a bit worried you'd think it was silly."

"I would never think that, Dr. Crane. I think you're very sweet, and it's obvious that you care about people. Most men just want to do it, no matter how the woman feels. It's nice to know not all men are like that." She reached over and gently took hold of his hand.

The feeling of her hand in his made Niles feel lightheaded. For a moment, he thought he might faint again. But he kept looking into her eyes, and somehow, he stayed in control. "Daphne, would you like to go out with me?" Suddenly, he realized what he was doing. Asking her out, after they'd just had a discussion about sex. How could she possibly interpret that? "Um, I mean, it's so hot in here, and maybe a drive would cool us off."

"All right." Daphne was glad for the distraction. She'd noticed that Dr. Crane seemed uncomfortable with the conversation for some reason. They quickly made their way downstairs to the Montana's parking area, and into Niles' car.

Niles began driving aimlessly around the streets of Seattle. Because of the extreme heat, most people had stayed indoors. Areas which normally would've been crowded were suddenly ghost towns. But this had a few advantages. One of them being that it was easy to park somewhere and have an excellent view of the Space Needle, which is exactly what they did.

"I'm used to seeing it from your brother's window, but somehow it seems even more impressive from down here," Daphne remarked. "It's so beautiful."

"Yes, it is," Niles replied. But he wasn't looking at the famous landmark. His eyes were locked on her face. Suddenly, his heart began to race again. This time, looking into her warm brown eyes did not help. "Daphne, do you trust me?" he whispered.

Daphne's answer was immediate. "Of course." But even as she said it, she felt the hairs on her neck begin to tingle. After all, they had just spoken of sex, and they were alone in a parked car. She tried to remind herself that this was Dr. Crane, the man who'd told her not to give in to someone who didn't love her. Before she knew it, his lips were on hers. The kiss was so gentle, she barely even felt it. But still, she understood. She knew now why he'd told her she should only sleep with a man who loved her. Because _he_ loved her. The thought made her feel warm inside. But unlike the heat from the air around her, this was a good feeling. "Thank you," she said finally.

"For what?" Niles was surprised by her response. He wondered if she was letting him down easily.

"For everything. Taking me in and reminding me that there's more to life than sex. For making me feel safe when I had nowhere else to go."

"I'll always keep you safe, Daphne. I mean, if that's what you want."

Daphne smiled. "I do. Earlier, I thought this was one of the worst nights in me whole life, but now thanks to you, I think it's actually one of the best." She kissed him back. When she let go, she couldn't help smiling at the boyish surprise on his face.

"It's been one of the best nights of my life ever since you showed up on my doorstep," Niles replied. Suddenly he realized where they were. A parked car was hardly his idea of romance. "Why don't we go back to my place? I'll make you something to eat and we can talk...get to know each other."

Daphne nodded. They'd known each other for four years now, but she understood what he meant. She was seeing him in a whole new way. The idea of spending forever with him suddenly seemed possible. It was as if his removing sex from the equation allowed her to fall even more deeply in love than she otherwise would have. She knew that men had loved her before, but there was always an underlying feeling of desire, as if they just expected her to do whatever they asked. But she knew that Niles could never be like that. He was more concerned with her heart than her body.

Somehow, she knew, that made him worthy of both.

**The End**


End file.
